Notching unit



Nov. 12, 1968 R. J. FEITSHANS NO'ICHING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1965 INVENTOR. RALPH 47f fZ/TJHANJ m AZaM/ ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1968 R. J. FEITSHANS NOTCHING UNIT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1965 INVENTOR. HAL/ W 47/5 zsHA/vs [a j %,4 4,

ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1968 v R. J. FEITSHANS 3,410,168

NOTCHING UNIT Filed June 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet E I N VEN TOR. R LPH I FE/ TJHA NJ By y/w ATTORNEYS U nitcd States Patent 3,410,168 NOTCHING UNIT Ralph J. Feitshans, Tonawanda Township, Erie County, N.Y., assignor to Houdaille Industries, Inc., Buffalo, N .Y., a corporation of Michigan Filed June 25, 1965, Ser. No. 466,896 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-588) This invention relates generally to notching units, and more specifically to an edge notching unit of the unitized type for use between the bed and ram of a press.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various notching or punching units, a particularly useful application is made in a notching or punching unit of the type that is constructed to be disposed on the bed or bolster of a press, to be operated by the ram of such press. Thus the device is a self-contained unit adapted to support both a punch and a die for such purpose.

Prior units of this type have been characterized by being expensive to manufacture, and components thereof have usually not been particularly suited for use on an interchangeable basis between units of differing sizes.

The present invention contemplates the provision of certain punch-holding structure which is provided with a relatively large area for supporting punch means, par ticularly when the overall size of the unit is considered.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new improved simplified notching unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a notching unit construction in which components thereof may be used interchangeably in models of various sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a notching unit which has a relatively large space to support punches.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a notching unit assembly provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevationalview thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational View of a device corresponding to that shown in FIGS. 1-3, and embodying an additional feature;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a notching unit assembly provided in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the dies or die structure employed in the device shown in FIGS. 5-7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view corresponding to FIG. 6 wherein the device has been constructed in a narrower width; and

FIG. 10 is a top plan view corresponding to FIG. 6 wherein the device has been constructed in a wider width.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a notching unit assembly such as shown in FIGS. 1-3, generally indicated by the numeral 11. The notching unit 11 includes a base 12 detachably supporting a notching die 13, and including an integral standard 14 to which is secured a pair of check plates 15,

16. A punch holder 17, slidably guided by the standard 14 and the cheek plates 15, 16, is biased upwardly by a number of springs 18, and is adapted to support and reciprocably hold a notching punch or punch portion 19.

The notching die 13 is held onto the base 12 in a removable manner in an accurately located position by a suitable number of screws and dowel pins (not shown) extending upwardly through the base into the die 13. Similar structure is more fully illustrated in a later embodiment. In this embodiment, the die 13 is generally U-shaped, having an opening 20 which registers with a slug chute 21 formed in the base 12. The base 12 is accurately located on a template (not shown) by a locating pin 22, the center of which preferably coincides with the forward edge of the opening in the die 13. A further pin 23 of diamond shape cross-section serves to locate the notching unit 11 further about the axis of the locating pin 22. The device may be clamped to such template or other mounting means by means of a suitable fastener extending through a lug 24, and may be further held in position by auxiliary clamps (not shown), and for such purpose, a pair of rearwardly extending clamping cars 25, 25 is provided.

The standard 14 is integral with the base 12, and is provided with a forwardly directed fixed slide surface or surface means 26 against which the punch holder 17 may slide in a vertical direction. The slide surface 26 is the only slide surface on the base or standard, and lies in a single plane adjacent to the opening in the die 13. The standard 14 is further provided with a pair of oppositely directed sides 27, 28 against which the cheek plates 15, 16 are firmly fixed and supported. Suitable screws and/ or pins, as shown in FIG. 1, extend through each of the cheek plates 15, 16 into the standard 14 to hold the cheek plates 15, 16 in a fixed position.

The cheek plate 16 is provided with a surface 29 which is disposed against the surface 27 of the standard 14, and which extends perpendicularly to the slide surface 26, along the punch holder 17. Similarly, the cheek plate 15 is provided with a surface 30, the surfaces 29 and 30 confronting each other. Each of the cheek plates 15, 16 has a gib 31, 32, respectively, the gibs 31, 32 being integral with the cheek plates 15, 16 and respectively projecting from the surfaces 30, 29 toward each other.

The punch holder 17 is generally rectangular in horizontal cross-section, and includes a first side 33, a second side 34, a third side 35, and a fourth side 36. The first side 33 slidably engages the slide surface 26, the second side 34 slidably engages the surface 30, the third side 35 slidably engages the surface 29, and the fourth side 36 is also referred to herein as an unguided side. As shown in FIG. 2, the notching punch 19 has an effective size or area falling within the limits of the four sides 33-36, and as more fully explained below, the punch 19 may be as large as the rectangle defined by the sides 33-36. The punch holder 17 is provided with a pair of vertically elongated grooves 37-38 at the opposite sides 34-35, and which open into the opposite sides 34-35 as well as into the fourth side 36. The groove 37 is located at the juncture of the sides 34 and 36, while the groove 38 is located at the juncture of the sides 36 and 36.

To support the springs 18-, there is provided a first recess 39 between and jointly defined by portions of the standard 14 and the punch holder 17, as best seen in FIG. 1. A similar recess 40 is provided between each of the cheek plates 15, 16 and the punch holder 17, and contains structure of the type shown in the recess 39. The recess 39 is cylindrical, the portion which lies in the standard 14 being open at the top, and the portion which lies in the punch holder 17 being open at the bottom. Preferably, a disk 41 is disposed at the lower end of each of the recesses, as shown in the recess 39, and is secured to the stationary component, while a similar disk 42 is disposed at the upper end of each recess 39, 40 and is secured to the closed end of the recess lying in the punch holder 17. The springs 18 are compression springs and thus act between a stationary portion supported by the base and the punch holder 17 to urge the punch holder 17 in an upward direction, namely away from the die 13. Such movement is restrained Where limited.

To limit the upward movement of the punch holder 17, the holder 17 is provided with a laterally opening slot which defines an upwardly directed abutment surface 43, 43 which is engaged and arrested by means 44, here the head of a bolt carried by the standard 14.

Attention is particularly invited to the fact that in this construction, the outer ends of the cheek plates 15, 16, adjacent to the gibs 31, 32, are substantially coplanar with the side 36 of the punch holder 17.

The punch holder 17 has an elevated portion 45 which is engaged by the press ram to lower the punch holder 17 against the force of the springs 18 to operate on a workpiece received in a throat 46, to perforate or to notch it in accordance with the joint configuration of the die 13 and the punch 19. The slug or scrap produced by such coaction is discharged through the slug chute 21, and when the ram is raised from the punch holder 17, the springs 18 restore the punch holder 17 to the position illustrated.

Attention is invited to the fact that the bottom of the recess 39, as well as the recesses 40, 40, lies well above the lowermost end of the punch holder 17, so that its lower end defines the maximum dimensions within which the punch and die may be sized. However, the vertical extent of the gibs 31, 32 is greater than that which is necessary to provide proper guidance for the punch holder, and therefore, the lower end of each of them may be removed as shown in FIG. 4 to enable the reception of a notching punch 47 which is as long as the distance between the surfaces 29 and 30, and which thus underlies or extends beneath these modified gims 31a, 32a. The reference numerals in FIG. 4 thus correspond to those of FIG. 3 the sufiix a being added to those components modified to accommodate the notching punch 19.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. -7 includes a base 48 having a slug chute 49 and mounting means as previously described. The base 48 supports a three-piece die 50, 51, 52 which jointly are similar to the die 13, the components of which are secured to the base 48 by screws and pins extending from below. The base 48 has a standard 53 integral therewith with a fixed slide surface means 54 and oppositely directed sides 55, 56 extending perpendicularly thereto. Again, the fixed slide surface means 54 lies in a single plane adjacent to the opening of the die 50-52.

A pair of check plates 57, 58 are jointly provided with confronting surfaces 59, 60 perpendicular to the slide surface 54, and with gibs 61, 62 that are integral therewith and each projecting from the surfaces 59, 60 toward the other gib.

A punch holder 63 is provided which again is generally rectangular in horizontal cross-section and supports a notching punch 64 at its lower end. The punch holder 63 includes a first side 65 slidably engeable with the fixed silde surface 54, a second slide 66 slidably engageable with the surface 60, a third side 67 slidably engageable with the surface 59, and a fourth side 68 also referred to herein as an unguided side.

The punch holder 63 is provided with a pair of vertically elongated grooves 69, 70 receptive of the gibs 61, 62, both opening into the side 68, and respectively opening into the sides 66, 67.

. A number of springs 71 act to bias the punch holder 63 in an upward direction, away from the die 50-52. To this end, the standard 53 is provided with a pair of upwardly opening recesses '72, while each of the cheek plates 57, 58 is provided with a pair of recesses 73, 73. The recesses 72 are thus entirely within the standard 53 while the recesses 73 are entirely within the cheek plates 57, 58. The springs 71 are disposed therein and supported thereby and extend upwardly from such recesses to a height substantially the same as the top of the standard 53 and the top of the cheek plates 57, 58. Rigid means are secured to the upper end of the punch holder 63 and extend therefrom in overhanging relation to each of the springs 71. The rigid means referred to includes a rearwardly extending plate 74 and a bilaterally extending plate 75. The plate 74 is secured as by screws to the upper end of the punch holder 63, and projects rearwardly sufficiently to overly the springs 71 supported in the standard 53. As the undersurface of the plate 74 is substantially coplanar with the top of the standard 53, there is provided an undercut 76 beneath the overhanging portion of the plate 74 so that adequate clearance is afforded for downward movement thereof. The bilaterally projecting plate 75 similarly overhangs four of the springs 73 in the cheek plates 57, 58 which are similarly undercut as at 77 to provide a corresponding clearance. The bilaterally projecting plate 75 also projects upwardly as shown in FIG. 5 at its central portion to provide a surface to be engaged bythe ram, best seen in FIG. 7.

In this embodiment, also, the outer ends of the cheek plates 57, 58 are substantially coplanar with the surface 68 of the punch holder 63.

Although the springs 71 urge the punch holder 63 upwardly, movement in an upward direction is arrested by suitable means. To this end, the punch holder 63 is provided with a vertically extending slot 78 which defines at its lower end an abutment 79. The arresting means which coact with the abutment 79 include a retractable pin 80 which is threadedly supported in a suitable aperture in the cheek plate 58. If desired, such structure 78- 80 may be provided as well on the cheek plate 57. The pin 80 projects into the slot 78 to be engaged by upward movement of the abutment 79.

The construction shown in FIGS. 5-7 is particularly suitable for being manufactured in narrower and in wider widths as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. When so constructed, certain components described above, as well as all of the fastening means, may be employed in the narrower and wider embodiments. These include the cheek plates 57, 58, the rearwardly projecting plate 74, and the die components 50, 52. A narrower base 81 is employed in the species of FIG. 9 and a wider base 82 is employed in the wider species shown in FIG. 10. A shorter die component 83 and a longer die component 84 are similarly employed. A narrower punch holder 85 and a wider punch holder 86 are also used, together with shorter and longer bilaterally projecting plates 87, 88 respectively, the wider form also requiring a wider plate 89. Thus with this construction, a wide range of customer demands may be satisfied using one basic construction which requires virtually no re-engineering from time-to-time to alter the maximum width of punch that can be accommodated.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Notching apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press, comprising in combination:

(a) a base adapted to be secured to the press bed and adapted to detachably support a notching die;

(b) a standard extending upwardly from said base,

said standard having fixed slide surface means all lying in a single plane adjacent to the opening in the notching die;

(c) a punch holder slidably disposed against said slide surface means, said holder being adapted to support notching punch means beneath it and to hold the punch means in registration with the die, and to be engaged at its upper end by the press ram, said holder having an upwardly directed external abutment surface integral therewith and disposed beneath said upper end;

((1) a pair of cheek plates rigidly secured to opposite sides of said standard, and having confronting surfaces extending perpendicularly to said plane and slidably guiding opposite sides of said holder, said cheek plates each having a gib integral therewith and respectively projecting from said surfaces and toward each other, said gibs being received in vertical ly elongated grooves in said holder and providing further guidance for said holder;

(e) arresting means directly secured to said standard and engageable with said abutment surface; and (f) spring means biasing said punch holder in a direction urging said abutment surface toward said arresting means.

2. Notching apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press, comprising in combination:

(a) a base adapted to be secured to the press bed and adapted to detachably support a notching die;

(b) a standard extending upwardly from said base, said standard having fixed slide surface means all lying in a single plane adjacent to the opening in the notching die;

(c) a punch holder slidably disposed against said slide surface means, and adapted at its upper end to 'be engaged by the press ram;

((1) spring means biasing said punch holder in a direction away from the die;

(e) a pair of cheek plates rigidly secured to opposite sides of said standard, and having confronting surfaces extending perpendicularly to said plane and slidably guiding opposite sides of said holder, said cheek plates each having a gib integral therewith and respectively projecting from said surfaces and toward each other, said gibs being received in vertically elongated grooves in said holder and providing further guidance for said holder; and

(f) notching punch means supported by said holder in registration with the die and disposed in underlying relation to both said holder and said gibs.

3. Notching apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press, comprising in combination:

(a) a base adapted to be secured to the press bed and adapted to detachably support a notching die;

(b) a standard forming a part of and extending upwardly from said base, said standard having fixed slide surface means all lying in a single plane adjacent to the opening in the notching die;

(c) a punch holder of generally rectangular horizontal cross-section defined by a first, a second, a third and a fourth side, said first side being slidably disposed against said slide surface means, said holder being adapted to support notching punch means beneath it and to hold the punch means in registration with the die;

((1) a pair of cheek plates rigidly secured to opposite sides of said standard, and having confronting faces slidably guiding said second and third sides of said holder, each of said cheek plates having a gib received in a vertically elongated groove in said holder opening into said fourth side and providing further guidance for said holder;

(e) means defining three upwardly opening recesses for springs, a first of said recesses being entirely in said standard adjacent to said first side of said holder, and a second and a third of said recesses being entirely respectively in said cheek plates adjacent to said second and third sides of said holder;

(f) three compression springs respectively supported in said recess defining means and projecting therefrom; and

(g) rigid means secured to and overlying the upper end of said punch holder and extending therefrom in overhanging relation to said springs, and acting to urge the punch away from the die, and being engageable at its upper surface by the press ram.

4. Notching apparatus for use between the bed and ram of a press comprising in combination:

(a) a base adapted to be secured to the press bed and adapted to detachably support a notching die;

(b) a standard forming a part of and extending upwardly from said base, said standard having fixed slide surface means all lying in a single plane adjacent to the opening in the notching die;

(0) a punch holder of generally rectangular horizontal cross-sectional defined by a first, a second, a third and a fourth side, said first side being slidably disposed against said slide surface means, said holder being adapted to support notching punch means beneath it and to hold the punch means in registration with the die, and to be engaged at its upper end by the press ram, said holder having a vertically extending slot opening through one of said second and third sides thereof and terminating at one end in an upwardly directed abutment surface;

(d) a pair of cheek plates rigidly secured to opposite sides of said standard, and having confronting faces slidably guiding said second and third sides of said holder, each of said check plates having a gib received in a, vertically elongated groove in said holder opening into said fourth side and providing further guidance for said holder;

(e) first, second and third spring means respectively adjacent to said first, second, and third sides of said holder, said first spring means acting between said standard and said holder, and said second and third spring means acting between said cheek plates and said holder and biasing said punch holder in a direction away from said die; and

(f) retractable arresting means carried-in one of said cheek plates' and projecting into said' slot and engageable with said abutment surface.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1964 Great Britain.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. NOTCHING APPARATUS FOR USE BETWEEN THE BED AND RAM OF A PRESS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A BASE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE PRESS BED AND ADAPTED TO DETACHABLY SUPPORT A NOTCHING DIE; (D) A STANDARD EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE, SAID STANDARD HAVING FIXED SLIDE SURFACE MEANS ALL LYING IN A SINGLE PLANE ADJACENT TO THE OPENING IN THE NOTCHING DIE; (C) A PUNCH HOLDER SLIDABLY DISPOSED AGAINST SAID SLIDE SURFACE MEANS, SAID HOLDER BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT NOTCHING PUNCH MEANS BENEATH IT AND TO HOLD THE PUNCH MEANS IN REGISTRATION WITH THE DIE, AND TO BE ENGAGED AT ITS UPPER END BY THE PRESS RAM, SAID HOLDER HAVING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED EXTERNAL ABUTMENT SURFACE INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND DISPOSED BENEATH SAID UPPER END; (D) A PAIR OF CHEEK PLATES RIGIDLY SECURED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STANDARD, AND HAVING CONFRONTING SURFACES EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID PLANE AND SLIDABLY GUIDING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HOLDER, SAID CHECK PLATES EACH HAVING A GIB INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND RESPECTIVELY PROJECTING FROM SAID SURFACES AND TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID GIBS BEING RECEIVED IN VERTICALLY ELONGATED GROOVES IN SAID HOLDER AND PROVIDING FURTHER GUIDANCE FOR SAID HOLDER; (E) ARRESTING MEANS DIRECTLY SECURED TO SAID STANDARD AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ABUTMENT SURFACE; AND (F) SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID PUNCH HOLDER IN A DIRECTION URGING SAID ABUTMENT SURFACE TOWARD SAID ARRESTING MEANS. 